Graduation Year

2019

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ed.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Educational Leadership

Major Professor

Elizabeth Shaunessy-Dedrick, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Phyllis Jones, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Sophia Han, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kelly McCarthy, Ph.D.

Keywords

teacher induction, mentoring, attrition

Abstract

Within the first five years of new teachers’ employment, between 30 and 50 percent leave the profession (Smith &Ingersoll, 2004). High levels of teacher attrition are associated with negative effects on student achievement (Strong, 2005). In an effort to retain teachers and improve the quality of the teaching workforce, many states and local school districts require new teachers to enroll in induction and mentoring programs. This study is part of a larger program evaluation of one public school district’s new teacher induction program. The purpose of this investigation was to determine how a novice teacher perceives the influence of a mentor in their professional and personal development. This study focused on a group of novice teachers who worked with a mentor in their first year of teaching at a high-needs school during the 2017-2018 school year. I utilized qualitative methods to analyze the perceptions the teachers’ perceptions of the mentor’s role, collected through individual interviews, about how they acclimated to the demands of the teaching profession. The results of this study can contribute to the overall evaluation of the induction program and inform the district’s efforts to improve the mentoring component of this program.

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